My strong sense of discipline has always been with me, and it also gave me the need for deep affection. I have never been satisfied with acquaintances who are superficial, volatile, or quick to change. I have surrounded myself with people with whom I am in total complicity.

The difference between style and fashion is quality.

From the elitism of luxury to the democracy of beauty.

Being famous very often means sacrificing your privacy and that of others. You have to impose on those close to you a pace and lifestyle that might be a bigger sacrifice for others than it is for you.

Italy is not widely thought of as a pioneer of youth culture in the way, say, the UK is.

Retailing has become fiercely competitive. Today there are many large global fashion companies who have opened up mono-brand stores in major cities around the world. When I first opened my boutique in New York, in 1985, there were almost no other European luxury brands present with their own stores. Now Fifth Avenue is packed with huge stores from major Italian and French labels.

I am impressed with America's capacity for change, and their ability to bring someone as inspirational as Barack Obama into the White House.